Eureka! Just outside of Orange County is an amazing place, something of an enchanted forest. Filled with vibrant hues of green, palates of violet, bright blends of reds, it’s really not a forest. Actually, it’s a farm. It’s two sister farms. These family-owned farms have two locations in Ventura County. The original farm in the city of Somis and the newest edition in the city of Moorpark.
Ventura County is further north than Los Angeles County and the San Fernando Valley, but it’s what families, singles, and friends have been looking for and so worth the drive. It’s sometimes the drive itself that bring fun times and memories. However, visiting Underwood Family Farms is destined to gift you both.
The Underwood Family continues with their family legacy of farming the finest in California citrus, berries and a surplus of vegetables. Passed down from generation to generation, Craig Underwood has transformed the county side road fruit stand concept into a vision of community, education and entertainment. It’s the Disneyland of farms this side of Orange County. The farms also offer rides, activities, attractions, and shopping.
What is magical about the Underwood Family Farms is that they didn’t lose the traditional art of farming. Guests can experience the farm to table world, taste organically grown produce, enjoy hay rides and visit the animal center. Farming is all about patience and respecting the seasons. Following Mother Nature’s lead in harvesting the best crops, turns acceptable dishes into extraordinary seasonal favorites. These farms are super fun, cool, and there’s something for every energy level. Come feed your eyes.
Underwood Farms-Moorpark Farm Center
Address: 3770 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark
Website: www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com
Admission/Hours of operation: (refer to website for more detailed information)
- Moorpark Farm Market, Animal Center, Pick Your Own is open daily from 9am-6pm. Closed Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day *Christmas Eve/New Year’s Eve close at 12:00pm
- Parking is FREE
- Admission at gate daily is $7.00 weekdays and $10.00 weekends
- Children under two years old are free, Seniors, Veterans, Military and first responders receive a $2 admission discount
- Online tickets required on weekends for special events
- Admission includes: Tractor drawn wagon rides, pull wagons on a first com first serve basis, entrance to pick your own fields (pickings in addition)
- Admission includes Animal center entrance and viewing (feed additional –25cent coin machines, 1$ bag of oats)
- Fun Hill & wooden play equipment, swings, trike trail inside animal center, combine and harvest slide, hay pyramid and misting tunnel
- No outside coolers are allowed, snacks from home are permitted, personal wagons and strollers permitted, personal bags and baskets are welcome
- Farmer Fred’s Chicken Show
- Animal Shows (weekends only)
- Season passes available for one-year unlimited visits
- Pets are not allowed, refer to website for service dog rules
Additional activities for purchase:
- Gem/fossil mining, electric train, bee train, animal petting, duck feeding, cow train (weekends only), grain train (weekends only), horse drawn wagon (weekends only)
* Tickets need to be purchased to participate in activities:
*tickets do not expire, good all year round
* Required tickets vary per activity, range from 1 to 4 tickets per activity/ride
Farm tours, Farm camps, & Parties
Underwood Farms is a special place that truly makes your day unforgettable, romantic, magical, inspiring and unique.
Birthday package highlights
- Birthday parties are not permitted on the farm unless in the reserved Birthday Party area.
- Barnyard Package -Birthday parties/events based on size from 20-60, Birthday child and parents are FREE. Birthday child receives Happy Birthday button and large bag of gems and commemorative group photo, 200 tickets for guests to enjoy farm activities.
- Pony Paddock Party Package: Party of 60-200 guests receive 400 tickets as well as the above Barnyard Package.
- See website for more details.
Underwood Farms Moorpark welcomes schools and groups for a specialized tour to gain a positive farm experience through education and discovery. Teachers and aides are FREE
- Strawberry, vegetable, pumpkin, animal & combination tours are featured only at the Moorpark location. There are four different tours to choose: Educational Farm Tours, Farm Tours, Educational Pumpkin Tours, Pumpkin Tours. They also offer homeschool tours.
Future farmers, growers and Animal Caretaker Camp
- Farm Summer Camp week includes interaction with farm animals, and campers bring home their very own bag of fruits and vegetables, picked straight from the field
- Super fun farm related crafts and games
- Monday thru Friday camp is 9am to 1pm, must bring sack lunch/drink
- Age ranges from 5-11 years old
Moorpark Farm Market/ Pick Your Own Fields
Guests are given the option to hand pick their favorite produce or already picked. The Market has ready to go favorites like pickled produce, honey, nuts, juices, dry beans, and farm fresh eggs. For more than forty years Underwood Farms has been providing the freshest and most delicious fruits and vegetables to their visitors, community and local Farmer Markets. The website also has an online store. With over fifty acres, the options at Underwood Farms are endless. Maybe you just want to admire the fields, get inspiration, take a wagon ride, or perhaps you’re returning just to make that special purchase. It’s a wonderful place to connect with nature, sit, and people watch. Fresh flowers are also available in the Market, what a lovely idea for your date or special guest as a souvenir.
- Pick Your Own Fields are open daily 9am-6pm: This is a separate entrance than to the market place. Remember to check the seasonal calendar online to see what is available to pick for the week as well as a monthly produce guide and prices.
- Drinks and snacks are available for purchase at Market Store and farm mobile carts.
- Healthy Harvest boxes full of fresh, seasonal goodies and amazing curated gift baskets are ready for purchase at the farm Market or online with fed-ex delivery, too.
- Farm Market is open daily from 9am-6pm. Here you can purchase already picked, beautiful produce and other superb provisions. Gift cards and Underwood Farms gear is also available for purchase at the Farm Market.
Events At Moorpark Location
Tomatomania
Tomatomania is an eclectic event for enthusiastic tomato lovers, growers, and eaters. It’s held annually at different garden destinations across the state. Underwood Farms participates every year and the 2022 season was bigger than the last. Come to the world’s largest tomato seedling event and sale. It’s the mecca for tomato crazies and super fun for the rest of us. The day features tomato growing tips, classes, retail, and varietal tasting.
Pick your own Roma Tomatoes
September – visit the PYO (pick your own) page for more info
- Pick your own at .35cents lb. Or already picked purchase at .65cents lb.
- Basil and bell peppers also available
- Pick Your Own Romas area is outside of the Farm Center and there is no Entry fee
Springtime On the Farm
Springtime on the Farm is an exciting month of magic and family fun, featured every April at the Moorpark Location. Tickets for this event on Fridays and weekends must be purchased online. The Moorpark location turns into a 50-acre pastel paradise decorated with Easter banners, balloons, Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny is available for pictures. Highlights of the event include (for a complete list see website)
- TICKETS: weekday admission $10.00- weekend admission $14.00 * Friday and weekend online purchase only
- Super Giant Easter basket filled with pretty eggs at center court and is perfect photo backdrop
- Colorful spring eggs, whimsical wreaths and amazing photo opportunities blanket the farm
- Photos with the Easter Bunny in his coveralls-You can snap your own. Maybe you can forget your Easter bonnet or bow tie and come dressed in your best dungarees and country favorites.
- Easter story labyrinth, harvest slide, hay pyramids, tractor drawn wagon rides, combo slide
- Entry into the Animal Center, Animal Show, baby duck feeding, and two animal petting areas
- Easter Bunny House façade
- Entry to Pick your Own Fields (pickings extra)
- All train rides
- Gem mining
- Egg dying, egg hunt, egg toss
- Bird house making
Fall Harvest on the Farm
Fall Harvest on the Farm is the Palooza of Farm events! You gotta go! Make October an exciting day at the Farm and dress up. Once you get there, you’ll be glad that you found your boots and checkered shirt. Trust us. The Moorpark Farm transforms into a giant pumpkin patch, nothing like you’ve ever seen before. It’s not that big box retailer pumpkin patch in your neighborhood.
There’s plenty of activities during the week and weekends are extra special offering five different themed dates and live entertainment to choose from. It’s a farm filled galore with spiders, spooky corn mazes, and hay pyramids. There will be every type of pumpkin from the weirdest to the grandest in the patch. Carved pumpkins, spooky and silly, will be seen all around the farm and make you smile. Weekend dates feature live performers and roaming entertainers. Live music, pig races, and fun fall demonstrations are also only featured on weekends. It’s a barn banger ball for everyone.
- Admission: 9am-6pm weekdays Mon. -Fri.
- Weekend Admission: 9am-6pm *Price varies *no walk-ins on weekends *must purchase tickets online
- Admission highlights (see website for complete list): Tractor drawn wagon rides, Corn Maze, Farmer Craigs Chicken Show, gigantic pumpkin patch, pumpkin house, Photo opportunities, Entry to PYO, corn stalk labyrinth, Animal center and giant tractor displays
Christmas on the Farm
Visit Moorpark the Merry from November 25th to December 24th. Skip the skinny mall Santa and forgo the worn out Cul-de–sac Christmas lawn displays, do something unforgettable this Holiday Season. Go to the farm. Christmas on the Farm is just plain country cool. The Moorpark Farm is transformed into a unique holiday venue. Decorations are everywhere, even on the horses. Everyone and everything are dressed to be festive and bring cheer.
The center court has a huge, brightly painted car tire tree. How creative and farm appropriate for a family picture. It brings a smile every time. Adorned with garland and ornaments, the tire tree is the prettiest Christmas tree in Ventura County. Big Wave Dave’s Christmas Trees will be available for purchase from November 25th to December 19th. Visit the Holiday Store for gift favorites, write letters to Santa, visit with Santa and his reindeer. The day offers plenty of holiday crafts, games, and end it with a California Sleigh ride! It’s magic and marvel this holiday season and it’s happening at Underwood Farms Moorpark.
- November 25-December 24 (closing at 12pm Dec. 24)
- 9am-5pm
Holiday highlights (see website for complete list)
- Holiday Photo ops with Santa- Bring your own camera (Weekends thru Dec. 23rd 11am-4pm only)
- Holiday arts & crafts, Christmas tattoos
- Christmas duck racing
- Cookie toss, ring toss, spin the wheel
- Elf training
- Holiday Train, bee and cow trains
- Baby goat experience
- California sleigh ride with draft horses
- Gem mining
- Electric tractor
- Reindeer! – 12/9, 12/10, 12/16, 12/17 9am – 5pm
Somis Farm Center
Address: 5696 E. Los Angeles Ave., Somis
Website: www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com
Somis Farm Center is the original farm of the Underwood Family. The Somis Farm Center is smaller and has the only Pick Your Own Berries opportunity. Opened since 1980, Somis offers all the produce and specialty provisions Moorpark does, but offers fruits as well. Delicious blueberries, raspberries, figs, tangerines, and blackberries are available by season and Underwood has a monthly guide on its website to display what’s available for PYO and for purchase in the Market.
All special events, camps, and parties are held at the sister farm, Moorpark. Farm guidelines and hours of operation are the same as the Moorpark location. Although smaller, an incredible farm experience can still be had and Somis Farm Center does have its own Animal Center. Somis also has a Market Store similar to Moorpark. We recommend referring to the Underwood Farms website to get more detailed information.
- Admission: $3.00 admission Pick Your Own (pickings additional)/ Animal Center
- Hours: Open daily from 9am-6pm. Closed Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Closing at 12pm Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
- Parking is FREE
- Pets are not allowed, refer to website for service dog rules
- Animal Farm highlights
*Feeding the animals is great fun and feed is available for purchase
*Somis Animal Center features chickens, alpacas, sheep and cute pygmy pigs
- Fall Harvest time at Somis offers a variety of pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds, squash for purchase, pull wagons available
- Somis Farm has a Pumpkin patch, corn stalk tunnel, and hay pyramids
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